Managing your time? Oh, that sweet, elusive art. It can feel like trying to juggle flaming swords while riding a unicycle. You know the feeling—your to-do list is longer than your patience, and every time you cross something off, something else gets added. But here’s the kicker: How to get better at managing your personal time isn’t about working harder. It’s about being smarter with what you’ve got. And trust me, I’ve learned the hard way.

It took me way too long to realize that time management isn’t just for people with shiny planners and color-coded highlighters. It’s for people like me—who can’t even remember what they were doing five minutes ago. If I can get a handle on it, you can too.

Why It Matters

You’ve heard it a million times: “Time is precious.” But, y’all, it really is. Like, if I had a dollar for every time I found myself wasting hours on nonsense, I’d be able to buy back that hour I spent searching for my phone (it was in my hand, just saying).

Here’s why how to get better at managing your personal time is crucial:

• Less Stress: When you actually know what’s going on, you feel less like a hamster on a wheel.
• More Free Time: Oh, yeah. Less “spinning your wheels” means more time to do what you love. Like, you know, scroll TikTok or watch reruns of “The Office.”
• More Productivity: Ever wonder why some people seem to get everything done while you’re just existing? Spoiler alert: It’s not magic. It’s time management.

Fast forward past three failed attempts to time-block your day… You’ve got this!

Time Wasters: The Silent Killers

Ok, here’s where we start with the real talk. If you want to know how to get better at managing your personal time, you’ve gotta own up to your time wasters. Yeah, I’m talking to you.

I once spent 45 minutes watching a totally unnecessary YouTube video about the history of pencils. Pencils, y’all. I still don’t know why I did that. Anyway, here’s a list of the usual suspects:

• Social Media: It’s fun. It’s addicting. But you’ve scrolled for 30 minutes and learned absolutely nothing. No joke, my Twitter feed is still full of people I don’t know from Adam.
• Endless TV Bingeing: I get it—Netflix is a siren call. But when you realize you’ve just watched four seasons of something in one sitting, it’s a little too late. My first herb garden died faster than my 2020 sourdough starter—RIP, Gary. #NeverForget.
• Unnecessary Meetings: I’ve been in a meeting about a meeting. Don’t be like me.

Recognizing these sneaky distractions is the first step in how to get better at managing your personal time. Step one: Call out your own bad habits. Step two: Make ‘em disappear.

Goals, Baby!

If you’ve got no clear goals, you might as well be aimlessly wandering through a corn maze. I’ve been there. “Uh, what was I doing again?” Oh right, trying to get my life together. Setting goals is step two in how to get better at managing your personal time—trust me on this one.

Prioritize Like a Pro

You know the ABCDE method? It’s like the Marie Kondo of productivity. Here’s how it works:

• A Tasks: Must be done today—like, no questions. These are your highest priority.
• B Tasks: “Should” be done soon, but aren’t as urgent. We’ll get to them.
• C Tasks: Meh. If you get to it, great. If not, it’s cool.
• D Tasks: Delegation! Pass that hot potato to someone else.
• E Tasks: Eliminate. If it’s not serving you, let it go.

So, yeah. Prioritize. The difference between your best day ever and your worst? Knowing what’s worth your time.

SMART Goals: Not Just for Overachievers

You know when you say, “I’m going to work out every day,” and then it’s 2025 and you’ve been in the gym once? Yeah, that’s not a SMART goal. SMART stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

I’m telling you, when you make your goals SMART, you stop setting yourself up for failure. I had a goal to stop hitting the snooze button… and after one too many late mornings, I started setting my alarm across the room. It’s a little thing, but hey, it worked.

Time Blocking: Like a Boss

Alright, y’all. Time blocking is where the magic happens. This is how to get better at managing your personal time in one sentence: Take your day, split it into chunks, and fill those chunks with specific tasks.

Here’s how I do it:

• Morning Routine: This is sacred. A cup of coffee, maybe a little light stretching if I’m feeling it (most days, I’m not). But it’s me-time, okay? No exceptions.
• Work Blocks: I’ll focus on a single project for 2-3 hours. No emails. No text messages. Just work.
• Breaks: Because your brain is like, “Nah, I’m good” after too long. I take a 10-minute walk or scroll Pinterest to clear my head.
• Family/Personal Time: And yes, I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t block out time for this, it doesn’t happen.

I’m telling you—time-blocking works wonders. My problem? I’d forget to schedule the breaks, so I’d end up sitting there like, “Wait, it’s 6 p.m. already? What day is it?” Ugh.

Multitasking? Nah.

I’ve tried it. I really have. And let me tell you, I’m the worst multitasker alive. I end up emailing my boss while microwaving leftovers and, somehow, my soup has both spilled on my shirt and gone cold.

How to get better at managing your personal time doesn’t involve doing everything at once. It’s about focusing on one thing until it’s done. I swear, the Pomodoro technique was made for people like me—I’m talking 25 minutes of work, followed by a 5-minute break. Boom.

I stick to this now because I’ve realized multitasking only messes up my day. If you need proof, just ask my laptop. It’s still recovering from that “I can’t focus on anything” meltdown.

No More Distractions!

Distractions are like gremlins—they just show up when you least expect it. I’m looking at you, phone notifications.

• Mute Notifications: You don’t need to know every time someone likes your Instagram post. No, really. I turned off notifications. My phone’s not the boss of me.
• Designate Your Space: I accidentally spent half an afternoon on TikTok while sitting in my office chair. The trick? Make a designated “work” spot. Mine’s the desk, away from the couch.
• Tell People to Leave You Alone: Sometimes you gotta be like, “Hey, not right now.” Whether it’s family or coworkers, boundaries are important.

Distractions? Cut ‘em. Simple as that.

Learning to Say No

Look, I’ll be real with you. Saying no is hard. Especially when everyone’s asking you to do things. But it’s essential for how to get better at managing your personal time.

Here’s the thing: I can’t be everything to everyone. And neither can you. So, learn to politely bow out of things that don’t fit into your schedule.

The first time I said no to something, it felt like the universe might collapse. But then, I had three hours of free time for the first time in forever, and I was like, “Oh. That was nice.”

Wrapping Up

So, here we are. If you want to know how to get better at managing your personal time, it’s really about being honest with yourself and making some tweaks. Trust me, I’ve made all the mistakes. From my failed herb garden (again, RIP Gary) to wasting an entire day in front of a screen, I’ve learned a thing or two. But I’m better for it.

The key is to take it step by step. Recognize the time wasters. Set clear goals. Block out time like the boss you are. And when in doubt, say no.

Anyway, this isn’t the end of your journey, it’s just the beginning. Go forth and conquer your schedule. You’ve got this.